Copyright 1999, Lyta. All rights reserved. No part of this story may be
re-posted in full or in part without written permission from me.
Disclaimer: Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict is copyright 1998, Tribune
Entertainment Co., its characters are used without permission. No infringement is
intended.
Rated: PG
Title: Running the Gauntlet
Author: Lyta
Lyta_1028@yahoo.com
Author's Notes: A "what if" that explores what might have happened if the Kimeran Repository had not blocked the shuttle's flight path in "Gauntlet".
"Running the Gauntlet"
Liam Kincaid looked at his cellmate Lili Marquette and
wondered what was going to become of them. The Jaridians had two Taelon shuttles with
inter-dimensional drive capability, not to mention hostages who knew quite a bit about the
current Taelon agenda. Liam had a chilling thought that he and Lili might be used as test
subjects in a Jaridian experiment, just as the Jaridian who had taken Lili hostage had
been.
The Jaridians could also simply kill them.
On the bright side, the Jaridians were completely unaware of his true
heritage. Liam had spent the majority of his spare time trying to understand his parents
through their memories, and through their knowledge, understand himself. Now he
concentrated on Ha'gel's memories, which were harder for him to focus on specific
instances. Ha'gel had memories of a lifetime more easily measured in millennia than
individual Earth years. His Kimeran father also retained the experiences of his own
parents, and those he had joined with. Surely Ha'gel knew something of the Jaridians that
could help his son now. Deep in thought, Liam carefully sorted though his inherited
memories, but it was a frustrating task: rather like looking for a specific book in a
library hit by a tornado.
It was also fascinating. Once he had stumbled across Sandoval's
memory of a particularly wild college party, Liam had promptly vowed never to allow
himself to get that drunk. Ha'gel's memories were more difficult to access than those of
his human parents, Dr. Park theorized this was because of his human mindset, though Joyce
Belman told him that he would be able to access those memories when he needed to.
Liam thought the present situation qualified.
Liam got a little sidelined when he reached his mother's
memories, he had always found her memories to be a great comfort. Her joy at the prospect
of a child after having resigned herself to the impossibility of motherhood with her
career made him feel less alone even though she was gone. Of all his parents, Siobhan
Beckett alone had loved him without condition. Ha'gel never saw him and Sandoval had
repeatedly tried to kill him.
"I wish I could see the stars," Liam said, unaware he
spoke aloud.
"Me too, preferably from the pilot's seat of my
shuttle." Lili replied. "You've been awfully quiet since we were thrown in
here."
"I've just been thinking." Upon considering his
shuttle, Liam's thoughts brightened a bit.
"Bet its on how to get out of here."
Liam smiled slightly, "How'd you guess?"
Lili shrugged and leaned against the cold greenish metal wall of
the cell. "Great minds think alike."
"Any suggestions?" Liam asked.
"I might have a great mind," Lili said with a sigh.
"But I cannot think of a single way to get us out of here that goes not end in us
getting shot, excuse me blasted by Jaridian shaquarava before even seeing our
shuttles."
"The Jaridians are probably taking apart one of the engines
to figure out how ID technology works even as we speak." Liam said fatalistically.
Then he smiled slightly. "I'd give anything to see the expression on Sandoval's face
right now."
"Forget Sandoval, I want to see the look on Zo'or's
face."
"Zo'or will cover it all up with a smirk and some
more-evolved-than -thou comments. Sandoval will be the one who takes the heat." Liam
pointed out. "I'd also like to see the Jaridians expression when
" Liam
held up a tiny chip. Lili instantly recognized it as a vital component to the ID drive
system, without that chip the whole drive would short out at next use.
Lili was about to ask how he got it past the search, when the
door to their cell slid open. A Jaridian, not the one who escaped from the mothership,
gestured for them to follow. Liam and Lili did as instructed and were escorted down the
same hallway they had been when taken to their cells. Liam amused himself by trying to
translate the Jaridian writing on the walls. Most of it merely designated the functions of
various locations, but it was interesting to compare Ha'gel's memories of the language
with the modern usage. Sometime in the millennia his father had slept between the stars
the language had changed a bit. The glyphs were more simpler and less artistic, a few
meanings appeared to have been altered but Liam got the gist of what was written . He
wondered how he would do with the vernacular.
The Jaridian, a low ranking officer if Da'an's files on Jaridian
rank insignias were correct, led them to where the two shuttles were parked side by side.
Liam covered a smirk at the sight of the burned out engine from his shuttle lying on the
ground a meter from the shuttle.
There were two only Jaridians present, obviously they did not
consider the two humans to be a serious threat to them. The second Jaridian had the
appearance of a technician or scientist. He was older than the one who escorted them, as
Liam could tell from the lighter color of his head markings. As soon as the two Jaridians
gave him an opening, Liam took it. He fired his shaquarava at the obviously surprised
Jaridians, who collapsed to the ground. Liam had no idea how long they would remain
stunned.
Lili took the opportunity Liam provided and practically
jumped into the still working shuttle. She grabbed the pilots seat. Liam entered,
and went over to the engine to give it a once over. Everything seemed to be in
working order.
"ID drive look's like it will take us home." He
announced. Liam strapped himself into one of the seats and braced for a bumpy ride. The
Jaridians would not be too happy about losing the shuttle.
"First things first," Lili reminded him, she targeted
the second shuttle. Seconds later it was as much a useless pile of materials as its
engine. She lifted the shuttle off the docking bay floor and retracing the path she had
taken in.
No sooner than they had hit vacuum than the shuttle was rocked by
weapons fire. Lili did not waste time firing back as they zoomed away from the Jaridian
facility, which Liam guessed to be one of their perimeter bases. The second she was able,
Lili got them into ID space then turned to face Liam.
"It's going to be a long trip home. Any ideas on how to pass
the time?"
"How about working on our stories for Zo'or?" Liam
suggested, glancing at the faint red marks in the center of each of his palms.
"I was right: great minds do work in concert."
Liam groaned.
Fin